Romantic restaurants and dinners for Valentine’s Day: don’t screw it up this year

Rev up the romance ‘o’ meter this year with these Valentine’s Day dinners

Oh, Valentine’s Day. That one time a year (besides birthdays and anniversaries) we pull out all the stops. Do your date night plans cut it? We’ve picked the very best romantic restaurants and Valentine’s Day menus, from private meals in garden domes and poolside dinners to swish rooftop restaurants.

Bayswater KitchenNot one for fancy plates and suiting up? Win the heart and stomach of your date at Bayswater Kitchen – fresh, quality seafood is at the heart of this laidback seafront restaurant on Keppel Bay. This Vday, the resto keeps it chill with a dinner menu featuring seasonal produce. Snack on smoked halibut gribiche with garlic crackers, before chowing down on cured salmon and crab agnolott, before you and your date dig into sharing hearty pies of either cod and salmon fish or braised beef cheek. To end, spoon the crowd-pleasing chocolate mousse, brownie, honeycomb and white chocolate and strawberries. Psst: Bayswater Kitchen is doing chilled-out seafood brunches every Sunday if you want to check it out over a jug of Pimm’s first… Price: $98 per personDate: 9 February to 14 FebruarySeatings: 6-8pm and 830pm for 14 February Bayswater Kitchen, 2 Keppel Bay Vista, Singapore 098382

The Summerhouse’s dining domes. Photography: The Summerhouse

The SummerhouseKnock the socks off your date at The Summerhouse’s garden domes this Valentine’s Day. Within your climate-controlled, air-conditioned dome, you’ll enjoy a 10-course set menu with sumptuous dishes like Japanese Scallop with seaweed and sake jelly, red snapper pie with young potatoes, leeks and truffle in crispy puff pastry and garnished with edible flowers and handpicked herbs from the garden. The menu even comes with a bottle of bubbly and flower bouquet by Poppy Floral Studio. Now how’s that for romance?Price: $600+ per coupleDate: 9, 10, 11 and 14 FebruarySeating: From 6pm onwardsThe Summerhouse, 3 Park Lane, Singapore 798387

Photography: The Ottomani

The OttomaniPut a little excitement back into your relationship this Valentine’s Day, at sexy supper club The Ottomani. Hand-in-hand, make your way down Peck Seah Street to the restaurant’s discreet entrance, only accessible through velour curtains at the back of a nearby establishment. Take a seat on the plush velvet sofas as you sip on Kissed by a Rose: a rose-based concoction served straight from a gilded trolley. Then begins your joyride to decadence; get your night going with the aphrodisiac of Tsarskaya oysters and salmon pastirma and torched foie Gras and Moroccan bastilla before you chow down on tender Ash roasted wagyu sirloin or a locally caught carnal trout. Check out our full review of Hot New Table The Ottomani– we think it’s one of Singapore’s standouts.Price: $144++ for seven coursesDate: 14 February Seatings: 630pm and 9pmThe Ottomani, 48 Peck Seah Street, #01-01A, Singapore 079317

Photography: Publico Ristorante

Publico RistoranteThe swish dining space pays homage to Italy (Italian is the language of love after all) this Valentine’s day. Sit down to four courses of classic Italian dishes, including buffalo mozzarella with smoked Avruga Caviar, seabass carpaccio and mains like slow cooked wagyu shortribs or branzino sea bream. End the night with sumptuous strawberry, prosecco and ginger sorbet and a glass of prosecco. Just saying: Beverly’s Blooms will be right outside at Quayside with a Valentine’s Day pop-up from 7pm, so you can pick up one helluva bouquet before dinner.Price: $98++ for a four-course mealDate: 14 FebruarySeatings: From 6pmPublico Ristorante, 1 Nanson Road, Singapore 238909

Photography: Artemis Grill

ArtemisWine and dine at Mediterranean rooftop resto Artemis this Valentine’s Day with a four-course meal. Specials for the night include beetroot tortellini, black cod, milk-fed veal loin and strawberry shortcake, and like its usual menu, they’re entirely made with fresh,organic and sustainable produce. Located 40 floors above ground, the food here is set to be sensational as the views.Price: $148++ per personDate: 15 FebruaryArtemis, 138 Market Street, #40-01 CapitaGreen (Rooftop), Singapore 048946

Photography: Caffe B

Caffe BItalian restaurant Caffe B sees a Japanese twist this Valentine’s Day, with an inventive, one-night only menu by Executive Chef Masanao Saito. The five-course meal kicks off with spear squid and rape blossoms served with tosazu jelly, fresh nori seaweed, gazpacho, amera tomatoes, and the restaurant’s signature Cupids Cup: a mixture of Kiku-Masamune, palm sugar, tomato juice, fresh cucumber and tomato and gin foam. The courses that follow are as ingenious; think spaghetti Vongole with Japanese perila and yuzu zest, grilled Japanese snapper poeler and the piece de resistance: roasted lamb rack and rosemary sauce or a bold and lavish tenderloin steak with truffle fond de veal.Price: $79+ for a five-course meal, or $120++ with cocktail and wine pairingDate: 14 FebruaryCaffe B, 64 Club Street, Singapore 069438

Me@OUEIf you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day of a lifetime, your date will be suitably impressed at ME@OUE. Trade sweet nothings as you drink in the panoramic views of Marina Bay. Two Valentine’s Day menus are available here, with dishes featuring sumptuous cuts of Kumamoto beef, foie gras, oysters and the signature sweet of the evening: a lychee and rose mousse and gelee, with a punchy berries consomme.Price: $128 for five-course menu with sake and wine pairing at $68++, $198++ for eight-course menu with sake and wine pairing at $88++Date: 14 February 2018Seatings: Five course menu starts at 6pm; eight course menu starts at 830pm.Me@OUE, 50 Collyer Quay, OUE Bayfront, Singapore 049321

Photography: The Halia

The HaliaHidden in the Ginger garden of Singapore Botanic Gardens, Halia’s proximity to the city and tranquil setting makes it the perfect romantic escape from the city. Recently Halal-certified, it’s bringing back its delectable 11-course special this Valentine’s Day, with freshly shucked oysters, sustainable Australian bluefin tuna tartare, and slow cooked wagyu striploin on the menu.Price: $270++ per couple, includes 11-course dinner, Herbarium mocktail activity, stalk of rose and photobooth picture mementoDate: 14 February 2018Seatings: 6pm-8pm and 830pm-1030pm The Halia, 1 Cluny Road (via Tyersall Avenue) Ginger Garden, Singapore 259569, p. 6484 0711 or e. vday@gingergardendining.com

Photography: Esquina

EsquinaNestled in the corner of Jiak Chuan Road, Esquina is a sensual Spanish resto offering small tables and small plates with big flavours. Take the eight-course Valentine’s Day dinner; tantalise your tastebuds with crowd-pleasing caviar and uni infused scrambled egg, eel and mussel spicy broth, and main courses like chūtoro, pork jowl and wagyu beef, and lychee, rose and raspberry.Price: $108++ per pax, including a complimentary glass of Cava MimosaDate: 14 February Seatings: 6pm, 8pm and 9.30pm Esquina, 16 Jiak Chuan Rd, Singapore 089267, p. 6222 1616, e. info@esquina.com.sg

The Song of India(Literally) spice things up this Valentine’s Day with The Song of India’s five-course meal. Sequestered within a Bungalow away from the hustle and bustle of Orchard Road, The Song of India adds a homely touch to modern Indian cuisine, yet presents it with savoir faire that’s fit for a Maharaja. Together with your date, handcraft your own dessert alongside Chef Manjunath and tuck into it at the end of your meal. Flavour-packed dishes in the lineup include tiger prawn saffroni and slow-cooked chicken roulade.Date: 13 to 15 FebruarySeatings: Limited to 10 participants The Song of India, 33 Scotts Road, Singapore 228226, e. namaste@songofindia.sg

Photography: Wildseed Cafe

Wildseed CafeEscape to Wildseed Cafe, located just below The Summerhouse. Kick back over the Valentine’s tea set ($50++ per set for two), which includes Gruyere and chicken sandwiches, and sweets like Violette soil garden, chocolate truffles, chocolate-dipped citrus Madeleines and red Velvet waffle. To wash it all down, choose from 10 exotic blends and sip the afternoon away.Price: $50++ for twoDate: 1 to 28 FebruarySeatings: 2pm to 5pmWildseed Cafe, 3 Park Lane, Singapore 798387

The KnollsDining at The Knolls will have you feeling like you’re on a getaway. Overlooking the cascade pools of Capella Singapore, the restaurant offers a five-course meal with exquisite plates like Alaskan Crab Salad topped with smoked avruga caviar, slow-cooked French duck breast served with tannin-flavoured pink risotto, sour beans and fresh herbs salad and a sweet ending of milky white chocolate mousse perfected with Australian organic honey and served with cocoa nibs biscuits and Griotte cherry coulis.Price: $148++ per personDate: 14 FebruaryThe Knolls, 1 The Knolls Capella Singapore, Singapore 098297

Seared scallops from Stellar@One-Altitude

Stellar@One-AltitudeCrank up the class with a stellar meal high above the city (we’re talking 62 floors high). The Sky High Valentine’s Day dinner begins with a glass of Dom Pérignon at sunset, and a “Lucky in Love” Yu Sheng at 1-Altitude Gallery & Bar. As the sky dims, sit down for a six-course spectacle, which includes seared scallops, caramelised foie gras, low temperature veal loin and petit fours (shaped convincingly like diamonds!).Price: S$688++ per couple, with corsage for the lovely lady, 1 glass each of Dom Pérignon sunset drink and “Lucky in Love” Yu Sheng at 1-Altitude Gallery & Bar; 6-course dinner with premium window seat and table-side Dessert Art experience at Stellar at 1-AltitudeDate: 14 FebruarySeatings: 630pm-10 pmStellar at 1-Altitude, Level 62, One Raffles Place, Singapore 048616

Pool GrillWhat could be more romantic than dining under the stars? At Pool Grill at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza, you’ll be blanketed by a canopy of stars as you dig into a three-course meal of Pan-fried Scallops with Chestnut Velouté, Duck Foie Gras Torchon with Rhubarb and chocolate fondue.Price: $198++ per couple, inclusive of 2 glasses of ProseccoDate: 14 FebruaryPool Grill, fifth floor, Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel, 320 Orchard Road, Singapore 238865

Nafeesa Saini

Nafeesa is a klepto for coffee mugs and a proud Drake fan. When she's not writing and sipping on kopi, she's studying beauty videos, stalking cat Instagram accounts, pinning home decor and fashion inspo and dreaming of a return to Iceland.